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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bank — for money
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ground — a position
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bore — to tire
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pit — a hole
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com